1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication apparatus used for communication wireless with wireless communication equipment installed in a hot spot or the like, and to an imaging apparatus comprising the wireless communication apparatus.
The present invention also relates to an imaging apparatus such as a digital camera comprising wireless communication means used for carrying out communication wireless with wireless communication equipment installed in a hot spot or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera having a communication function for sending and receiving image data obtained by photography has been proposed. Furthermore, mobile phones with built in cameras having photography means for obtaining image data by photography (such as Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. Hei 6(1994)-233020 and 2000-253290) are also spreading. In such a digital camera and a mobile phone with built in camera (hereinafter referred to as a mobile terminal with built in camera), image data obtained by photography are temporarily stored in an internal memory to be displayed on a liquid crystal display monitor of the mobile terminal with built in camera, and to be sent to friends or the like as an attachment to an E-mail message. The image data can also be sent to an image server that stores and manages the image data so that the image data can be viewed by access to the image server from a personal computer and can be used for generating a photograph album or for carrying out desired image processing thereon. A printing order regarding the image data can also be placed with a laboratory that is connected to the image server.
Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. has also proposed a method of sending image data via a wireless from an imaging apparatus such as a mobile terminal with built in camera (Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-79345). Since a wireless has a much higher speed data transfer rate than an existing mobile phone communication network and has a fixed communication charge, a wireless can be a preferable communication infrastructure for sending data having a comparatively large size, such as image data. Especially, if an imaging apparatus detects hot spots, which are increasing recently in number, and sends image data stored therein to a laboratory or the like via a hot spot once an owner of the imaging apparatus (that is, a photographer) moves to a coverage area of the hot spot, the photographer can place a printing order or the like regarding the image data without carrying out a troublesome operation therefor.
In order to send image data via a wireless communication means from a hot spot, it is necessary for a wireless communication apparatus installed in an imaging apparatus to be activated continuously. Since a photographer carries the imaging apparatus, components thereof are designed to consume as little power as possible. However, if the wireless communication apparatus is always operating, the power to be consumed thereby becomes large, which may lead to a dead battery at the time a photographer wishes to perform photography.